Five Years
by Queen of Leaves
Summary: Jack awakens in a possible future he's not sure he wants. warning: character death and angst. As usual Enjoy. NEW CHAPTER UP!
1. Sleepless nights

Here's another one! Just cranking 'em out! Enjoy!

III

Jack O'Neill lay in his large bed in his home, warm and safe in the comfort of familiar surroundings. However, he could find no rest. SG-1 had returned from a standard archeological mission covered in cuts and bruises. Apparently, the native people of P3X-049 did not like Daniel's excavation techniques. Jack grimaced at the memory, reaching up to rub the bruises that lined the side of his face and neck. Getting hit by a rock tended to have that effect. Daniel and Teal'c had avoided the brunt of the blows, but Sam had a pretty deep cut on her forehead.

Jack sighed and rolled over. Sam…it was getting harder and harder to suppress his feelings for her. Being in a command situation certainly wasn't helping anything. Every time she was hurt or missing or in danger, Jack felt it difficult to keep his emotions in check.

He loved her. It was as simple as that. The very worst thing that could have happened did. He loved her.

Jack rolled his eyes and buried his face in his pillow. Life shouldn't be this difficult.

Finally, Jack fell asleep, very aware that the moment he closed his eyes, there would be a certain blonde 2IC waiting on the other side.

III

Jack's alarm went off all too soon. With a heavy groan, he sat up, squinting in the bright sunlight. A voice made him start.

"Good morning sleepyhead!"

Sam Carter was standing in the doorway, her short hair layered around her face with a wide smile that made Jack's heart start pounding heavily in his chest. She moved across the room to where his was sitting and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thought you were going to sleep all day."

Jack's eyebrows arched.

"Carter?"

III

Woooooo….suspense. Sorry this is so short, I'll update soon, I promise. Please review if you liked.


	2. Am I dreaming?

_Sam Carter was standing in the doorway, her short hair layered around her face with a wide smile that made Jack's heart start pounding heavily in his chest. She moved across the room to where he was sitting and kissed him on the cheek._

"_Thought you were going to sleep all day."_

_Jack's eyebrows arched._

-Chapter Two-

"Carter???" Jack was incredulous. She gave him a look.

"You haven't called me that in a while."

Jack groaned slightly and slid his legs over the side of his bed. "Carter, what the hell's happening."

Sam's face fell. "Jack, I understand that you're upset, but this act won't bring them back. You need to move on."

Jack's face took on a familiar confused look. "Bring who back?"

Sam simply stared at him, then turned on heel, exiting the room with a reply thrown over her shoulder. "Get dressed. We're late for work."

(In the car)

Jack couldn't take his eyes off of Sam. There was something different about her. He was used to subtle changes, a hairstyle, new lipstick, things of that nature, but there was something about her he couldn't place.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Jack snapped his head back around. Staring at his 2IC, especially when she was engaged, was definitely not wise.

Sam sighed under her breath and brushed her hair away from her face with her left hand. As she did, a glint caught Jack's eye. A gold wedding band adorned her ring finger, replacing the diamond that had held its place. Since when was Sam married? Jack was in shock. Had she and Pete eloped?

"Nice ring," he managed.

Sam grinned. "Back at 'cha."

Jack looked down at his hand. There on his hand was a gold wedding ring, subtle designs wrapping around the band like ivy up a climber. Now Jack's head was definitely spinning. Maybe he was dreaming. With a small nod, he decided to see where this went.

(In base)

An airman waved at the pair as they entered the base.

"Morning Generals!" he said brightly.

Jack looked down at Sam. "Generals?"

She smiled faintly back up at him. "I know. I'm still shocked too. Seems like so many changes since…"

"Since….?"

Again, Sam just looked at him. Together they entered General Hammond's office. Jack looked at the desk. The nameplate said General Jack O'Neill. Sam tapped his shoulder.

"I'll see you later, Jack. I have some diagnostics to run." With that, she kissed him lightly on the lips and left the office, the door clicking shut behind her.

Jack stared after her. What was going on? This dream kept getting weirder and weirder. With a sudden realization, Jack pulled off his wedding ring, scrutinizing it intensely. What he saw made the ring slip from suddenly limp fingers, a small clink being the only noise heard as the ring spun on its edge and came to a gentle stop.

The inscription read:

_Jack and Sam 6-5-09 _

Woooo….cliffhanger. Sorry, I like doing those. Hope you enjoyed. Review if you did, please. That makes me happy. I'll get chapter three up soon too. This is looking like a long story, so bear with me! Love you guys.

-T


	3. Nightmare

Okay, I am soooo sorry I haven't updated! Please forgive me! You all have permission to poke me with a stick til you feel better. Especially you, Kip…

Five Years Chapter Three

The words still buzzing in his mind, Jack knelt, sliding under his desk to retrieve the ring. At that moment, the door opened and Jack's head shot up, colliding viciously with the underside of the wooden desk.

"Ouch! For cryin' out loud…"

Jack slid out from under the desk, ring clutched tightly in his hand and a scowl etched deeply on his handsome features. He glared at the nervous-looking airman standing in the doorway.

"Sorry sir…um…I just ran into General Carter. Did she mention my new project…er…by any chance?"

Jack stared at him in confusion. Who the hell was this guy?

"Um…no. I don't recall anything."

The airman's face fell for a moment and then he reached out and shoved a massive pile of papers and folders into Jack's arms.

"When you have time, sir, could you please look over these?"

With that, the airman left, leaving Jack with an armload of papers and a pissed-off expression. Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, dumping the papers unceremoniously on his desk. He unclenched his fist, revealing the gold ring. He slipped it on his finger and left the office, determined to unravel this mystery.

(Mess Hall)

Jack sat at his usual table, his mood noticeably improved by the large bowl of wiggling blue jell-o that writhed in front of him. As weird as things seemed to be, at least his jell-o was constant. Jack smiled happily as he dove into the treat. He was concerned, however, at the noticeable absence of Daniel and Teal'c. He half-expected Spacemonkey to come bounding around the corner blathering about ancient runes since he had not made his presence known during the entire time that Jack had arrived. Jack stood, threw his bowl away and jammed his hands in his pockets, making tracks for the Gateroom.

(Gateroom control)

Jack sauntered into the Gateroom control, staring in shock at the changes he found. In place of the bulletproof glass that separated the Gate from the control room, a large shimmering force field had been erected. Scars lined the walls and there were burn marks around the gate. Staff weapons blasts had scorched holes in the barrier gates that opened and closed to admit engineers.

"Unauthorized gate activation."

Jack didn't recognize the voice that announced the gate activation. The barrier gates went down as the chevrons locked.

"Targeting gate."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Targeting with what?"

Another airman (were these guys everywhere?) turned to face Jack.

"Umm…the temporal disruptor, sir. Standard procedure."

Jack nodded. "Ahh."

Confusion seemed to be reigning in his mind as of late.

"Why don't you close the iris?"

The airman turned again, his face filled with an exasperated look that matched the one Sam gave him from time to time.

"The iris was destroyed, sir."

Jack nodded again, feigning understanding. "Of course."

An SG team came through the gate, wearing uniforms Jack wasn't entirely familiar with and carrying some new kind of wisdom.

Jack turned on heel and left the Gateroom at a speedy jog. If anyone could explain anything to him, it would be Daniel.

(Daniel's Lab)

Jack rapped on the door, then simply stepped inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark. Danny-boy never kept it this dark in here.

"Spacemonkey?"

Jack's voice seemed to echo. He turned his head at a small noise.

"All right, Danny-boy, come on out."

Jack grinned. Daniel still hadn't forgiven him for the elaborate string of April Fool's Day pranks he had played on the team. Neither had Teal'c, for that matter…

Jack stepped towards Daniel's desk and grabbed the figure sitting there by shoulders.

"Gotcha!"

The lights came on and he came face to face with a tear-stained Sam.

"Whoa! Sorry Carter…thought you were Daniel and Teal'c…I'm living in fear of payback."

Sam looked hurt. "Jack, please stop this. You're trying to bring them back and it's not working."

Jack stepped back, the humor gone from his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Sam stood, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"They're dead, Jack."

-End chapter three-

Wahhaahaaha! Cliffhanger! I'm so mean to you guys. I'll try and update after finals! Love you guys. Review if you liked!


	4. Peaceful Slumber

"Dead? But how?"

Sam wiped her eyes and stood, hastily reaching for the lights. Jack barely kept his shock in check. In place of messy tables piled high with books, folders and notes filled with Daniel's familiar handwriting, there were bookshelves. Everything was cataloged and referenced. Knowing Daniel's random sense of organization or lack thereof, that endeavor must have been years in the making.

"Fine, Jack. Since you are so dead-set on playing this little game, I'll tell you. They died in a Goa'uld attack on the base four months ago. Daniel and General Hammond died first. Then Teal'c. Janet was strong. She lasted a month."

Jack's heart plummeted to his feet. He felt sick.

"But...I saw T yesterday...we all went to a bar. Tried to teach him how to play pool..." Jack's mouth quirked up at the memory. Sam's face hardened.

"That was over five years a go, Jack."

Jack sat weakly, his hand groping for a way to steady himself and found Sam's arm. A sudden realization dawned on him.

"Sam...what's the date?"

Sam blinked in confusion and checked her watch.

"January 21st."

"What year?"

"2010, Jack, what is with you?"

Jack stood and put his hands on Sam's shoulders.

"I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but go with me on this. When I fell asleep, it was January 20th, 2005. We got back from the bar at 2:00AM. Teal'c couldn't hold a cue. Danny got drunk and you...you were kicking my ass in pool. You had on a blue top and-"

Sam cut him off.

"Jack, I remember that too, but it happened five years ago for me."

They sat in silence for a while until Sam spoke softly.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Got back, took a shower, went to bed. Took me a while to get to sleep. You?"

Sam's ear reddened.

"We went out to dinner, came home and..."

"And?"

"We...made love."

"Oh."

Jack ran his hand through his hair, ignoring the abashed look on Sam's face.

"Well, something isn't right here. What am I doing five years in the future?"

Sam stood, wiping the final traces of tears from her face.

"We should get you to Janet and have you examined. Find a way to get you back to your timeline."

"Not yet."

Sam looked up at him, a cold look of loneliness replacing her look of sadness.

"Why not? You don't belong here."

"What if I do? What if this is my timeline and I just can't remember? Sam, according to you, I'm missing five years of my life. I want to remember."

It took one small look to convey Sam's dissatisfaction with his answer. Obviously, she wanted her Jack back.

"I want to remember...everything," he said firmly, stepping closer to her than he had ever dared before.

(At Jack's house)

Jack's house still held an aura of masculinity and power, much to his relief, but there was something distinctly Sam weaving its way through beer bottles and pizza boxes. In fact, the house was clean. That was a huge warning sign right there.

Jack entered the bedroom, admiring the newly-installed king sized bed as he leaned against the cherry wood footboard, his knees protesting every inch of the way to the plush carpet.

Sam entered and unbidden, Jack's heart did a little jump. Having her walk in and around his house was somehow exciting to him. Jack hadn't realized how much he had missed the domestic lifestyle.

"This is our wedding album," Sam said distantly, holding out a white laced book with the words "Our Wedding Day" emblazoned in gold on the cover. Jack opened it, releasing a small amount of dust and aged perfume into the sunlit air.

The first set of photos was Sam alone in her dress, staring out the window, completely unaware she was being photographed. It was sunny outside, though Jack didn't recognize the location from the photo.

The next set of photos were of the wedding party coming up the aisle. Turning the page, there they were, taking their wedding vows, Jack sporting a sleek black suit and an idiot grin and Sam with a bride's blush upon her lovely face. Both looked about as happy as Jack could imagine them to be.

A few more shots of the wedding and then Jack found the reception pictures and laughed out loud. Apparently, they were one of the couples who placed disposable cameras on the tables and let guests get their own shots. The very first picture was of Jacob smiling and holding a napkin that had "Stay away from my little girl" crossed out with pen and replaced with "Stay close to my little girl" with what was obviously a caricature of Selmak making Jack's life miserable.

"He always was overprotective of me. Don't worry, he didn't hate you. He loved you like a son." Sam's voice was softening as she looked into her past and Jack's possible future with him.

"I'm going to run a few errands. The wedding video is in the bookshelf if you want to watch it."

Jack nodded, not taking his eyes off the photo album. Sam left her spot at Jack's side, pausing to look at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were still heavy, despite having him here.

For the moment, he just wasn't her Jack.

She left without another word.

Two hours later, Jack had found the fridge and a beer and was watching the wedding video Sam had recommended. It was taking longer than the actual video because Jack kept rewinding to see if what he saw was really what had happened.

A slightly shaky image, complete with Daniel's voice over, beheld their first dance.

"If it gets any darker in here, I'll have to turn on the night-vision," he heard Daniel mutter.

The music began and the happy couple danced.

_If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?  
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?  
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call  
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all_

I'll never know what the future brings  
But I know you're here with me now  
We'll make it through  
And I hope you are the one I share my life with

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand  
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?  
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed?  
If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?  
If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?  
If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?

I don't know why you're so far away  
But I know that this much is true  
We'll make it through  
And I hope you are the one I share my life with  
And I wish that you could be the one I die with  
And I pray in you're the one I build my home with  
I hope I love you all my life

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand  
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am  
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away  
And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today  
'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right  
And though I can't be with you tonight  
You know my heart is by your side

I don't want to run away but I can't take it, I don't understand  
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am  
Is there any way that I could stay in your arms?

The door slammed shut, signaling Sam's return to the house. With a sigh, Jack clicked off the video and stood to greet her.

She had been crying again.

"Sam? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"No you're not, you're crying. Sam, I know you."

For the first time, she looked him in the eye, his soothing gaze meeting her troubled one.

"No Jack, you don't know me. I'm not the same Major that was under your command five years ago. I've changed more than you realize."

He stepped towards her, emboldened both by the beer and the physical evidence of their happy life together.

"Then help me realize."

In this close proximity to her, he could see the difference in her. She looked a little older and her hair was a little longer, but the most notable difference was the natural, upward curve of her lips. Normally, she looked so serious. With him, she smiled.

Little differences. Further evidence of a shift in the timeline.

"Jack, I'm tired. I want to go sleep. Please..." Her eyes tugged at his heartstrings, begging him to let her rest.

"Are you sick?"

"I don't feel well."

"Flu? Epidemic? Baby?"

Sam looked at him sharply.

"Stomach bug, I hope. It'll pass...I just need rest."

To detain her any longer with no just cause would have been rude. Instead, Jack let her go, waiting to hear her collapse into bed before making his next move.

Shortly, she was sound asleep, buried in covers pulled up to her chin, curled on her side as she hid from the world, keeping her troubles at bay with a cream comforter.

For a moment, Jack simply watched her, enthralled by the sight of her sleeping. The eyebrow furrow was back and some part of Jack that was stifling his military training longed to see it fade.

Having long since removed his socks, shoes and jacket, Jack was able to climb into bed without feeling too uncomfortable and without overly disturbing his slumbering wife.

Slowly, he let his arms encircle her waist, admiring the muscle tone as he drew her close. Instinctively, Sam turned towards his warmth, drawn to the comforting force that was enveloping her senses.

In waking, she couldn't see him as her Jack, but while she slept, she couldn't lie.

In sleeping, she was as drawn to him as he was to her.

That alone gave him comfort enough to quickly fall asleep.

:off:

OKAY! I am SO SO SO SO SO sorry this took me so long. Life has just been hectic and I am trying to get all of my current fanfic updated. If you read this and forgive me enough to review, I will be eternally grateful. I did an extra-long chapter :) Thanks so much for reading! It's good to be back.


	5. Rude Awakening

:off: Thanks for the reviews! Glad I still have a fan base after all my time off.

Five Years

The sight of waking up to Jack's face was by now so routine that Sam didn't start to see him holding her, lost in a deep sleep. A few moments later and the events from the past day came crashing down around her.

This was not her Jack.

Her Jack was...

Missing. Missing meant there was hope of finding him. Missing meant he was only gone for a little while.

Missing meant she shouldn't have slept as well as she did last night.

Why was he holding her?

"Jack."

He didn't move, only gave that little eyebrow furrow that indicated she was tapping on his subconscious mind.

"Jack," she said, a little louder this time. She needed to get away from him.

One eye opened, then both as he registered the shock of waking up next to her for the first time.

"Good morning." His voice was so like her Jack's, a little sand in it from a restful night.

"I need to get up. Let me go," she said, struggling in his grip. She was starting to feel a little ill.

"Sam, it's Saturday."

"Jack, I don't care, just let me up!"

Confused, Jack unwound his arms from her warm body and watched her run for the bathroom. A few moments later, he could hear the sound of retching coming from around the corner.

Jack stood, ignoring the crack of his knees as he walked into the bathroom, only to be greeted with the sight of Sam leaning weakly against the wall, her hand over her mouth.

He sighed sympathetically and turned on the shower.

"K, get naked."

"What?" she replied, a little woozy as she flushed the toilet.

"Take a cool shower to get your body temperature down. I'll make you some tea to settle your stomach."

He caught her just as her legs gave out.

"I don't think I can make it over there."

"Didn't the doctor give you some medication?" Jack said as he walked her over to the adjoined shower and bath, setting her on the edge of the tub. Her nightshirt clung to her clammy skin, making her appear almost too thin.

"I couldn't keep it down," she said, giving up her struggle and resting her head against his chest. "What are you doing?"

"You said you couldn't take a shower. I'm helping."

Her face turned towards him, pale in the florescent light. "That's really okay. I can just take a bath..."

"Sam, relax. I've seen you naked before."

"No," she said quietly. "You haven't." The resentment in her voice was obvious.

Ignoring her complaints, Jack reached up and turned on the shower spray, adjusting the nozzle so that the water pressure was a gentle massage, not the pounding blast it had been set on.

Jack should have been prepared to see Sam naked. After all, the shower had been his idea. But seeing her long body submerged in the filling tub released in Jack a desire he thought he had long suppressed.

"Okay...let's do this," he said, his voice notably higher than it had been a moment before.

"You said the same thing on our wedding night," Sam said with an ironic grin, one that quickly faded with the realization that this Jack had not seen their wedding night.

"Sam..."

She shook her head, leaning forward to wrap her arms around her knees, leaving him with an interesting combination of relief at the break of tension and a loss of his one opportunity to see her naked.

Let's face it. Jack was a man. And men had needs and...desires.

His happened to be half-submerged in a tub right in front of him.

The tub was almost full, so Jack turned off the shower spray and began to minister to a drenched Sam. He took the pink bar of soap and began to lather her back, wincing inwardly as she tensed at his touch. A soapy hand appeared and Jack reluctantly turned the soap over to Sam so she could wash her front.

His eyes fell on the shampoo bottle, then on Sam, then on the bottle. A small, plastic crack and Sam's eyes opened with sudden awareness regarding his intentions.

Jack didn't figure Sam to have much of a girly side, but it was showing with her floral shampoo. A faintly lavender smell hung rose in the air as Jack poured the concoction onto his hands and rubbed them together.

Sam sighed at first contact, his warm fingers invading the cold roots of her wet hair. Every place he touched was brought alive by the gentle motions of fingers she had long dreamt about. The lather took to her hair and began to dribble down her neck and back. Jack took a deep pleasure at seeing her relax for the first time in his presence. He noted that small circles made by his fingers elicited a sigh, a tiny scrap of information that was stored away with its peers in the back of Jack's mind, the small, nonmilitary section he reserved for Sam alone.

His ears pricked. Had she just moaned? Had he just made her moan?

He took the second moan as a yes.

"Sam..." His voice was deep to his ears, husky even. This was unusual.

Her eyes shot open as she recognized the tone in his voice. He was aroused. Worse, she was not put off by the fact.

And how could she have been? While this wasn't her Jack, he still possessed those smoldering eyes, thin lips and shoulders that wouldn't quit. This was the man Sam had fallen in love with so many years ago.

Jack looked down at his pants as her motion in the tub caused a bit of water to spill out onto him as she turned to face him. Her cool hand came to rest on his face, sending lines of soapy water down his morning growth. He felt a strange stirring in his heart as his gaze came to rest on her. Sam's hair was spiked in odd directions and full of white foam, her face was pale and her normally shocking blue eyes seemed watery, but to him, she looked beautiful.

Instinct took over and he leaned in to kiss her, closing his eyes, only to find his progress halted by a very soapy taste in his slightly open mouth. He opened his eyes to find a very amused Sam staring back at him.

"You don't want to kiss me right now."

Jack groaned slightly. "Actually, I beg to differ on that point."

Sam smiled. "Jack, I just threw up, I'm covered in suds and I feel kind of sick again. Trust me."

With a sigh of resignation, Jack stood and grabbed a washcloth from the counter and wiped off his shampoo-covered hands.

"Can you rinse off okay?"

Sam nodded.

"Well...," Jack said awkwardly. The spell was broken, the mood destroyed.

"I'll be in the kitchen. Think you could stand a little breakfast?"

Sam nodded. "Just don't try to make pancakes."

Jack turned from the doorway. "Why not?"

"Last time you did, you almost burned the house down."

Jack left the bathroom, feeling all the more confused about the conflicting emotions he was experiencing.

In the bathroom, a shaky Sam wrapped herself in a towel, her blond hair turned a muddy honey by the shower, was experiencing her own set of mixed emotions.

Jack had just walked out of the door.

Jack was missing.

Jack was fixing her breakfast.

Jack was missing.

Jack was still the same man she fell in love with.

So was he really missing?

:off: Well, that's another chapter! Hope everyone enjoys. Thanks for reading, as usual!


	6. Into dreams

The fake smile on Sam's face as she entered the kitchen did not go unnoticed to Jack, but he ignored it for the time being.

"Breakfast is ready. Toast, eggs, scrambled, not stirred and..." he said, setting her plate in front of her with a flourish, "bacon."

Her crooked grin made the soapy dishes in the sink, the spilled bacon grease on the stove and disturbing burning odor balance out.

"Nice to know I still have a kitchen," she said, picking up a piece of toast and nibbling gingerly on the corner. Satisfied that the bread would not further encourage her ill stomach, Sam took a few larger bites.

"If there's anything Jack O'Neill can do, it's cook," he scoffed. "Or at least microwave..." he added as an afterthought.

Jack waited until Sam was engrossed in the morning paper before looking her over. She had changed into loose pajama pants and an old shirt of his, one that had been in terrible shape five years ago.

Okay, fine. He was checking her out.

And who could blame him? After years of subtle flirting and loop kisses, she was finally his to admire.

Her hair was still a deep honey color from the dampness of the shower. She was still pale, but the steel with which he was so familiar with was returning to her eyes.

"Think you can handle some coffee?" He asked, pointing to his own cup, then her empty one.

Sam smiled wistfully. "I'd love some, but that may be a bit too much for me right now. How about orange juice."

Jack nodded and retrieved the container from the fridge.

"So..." he said as he poured. "What do we normally do on weekends?"

Sam picked up the cup, regarding him over the chipped rim.

"Well, not a lot. Normal couple stuff. Grocery shopping, house cleaning."

"Well, how are you feeling now?"

Sam smiled again a little weakly.

"A bit better. I think I'll run some errands."

Jack shook his head.

"Sam, what was our first date?"

Her head shot up and she seemed to be berating herself for slipping into such easy dialogue with him.

"I don't really remember..."

Jack's eyes narrowed.

"Liar."

"Excuse me?"

"Sam, let's be realistic here. We have danced around each other for years. Why wouldn't you remember our first date when it was something we put off forever?"

Crap. He had made her cry.

"Get out," she said softly, not meeting his eyes.

"What?"

"Go away. Go to the SGC. Go back to your time."

"Sam, I..."

Her voice didn't rise. "I want you out of my house. You're not him. This isn't your life."

Jack blinked in astonishment. She was throwing him out?

"Jack...just go." Sam stood, trying to cover her crying eyes as she left the kitchen.

In a few quick steps, Jack caught her on her way to the bedroom. His strong hands gripped her upper arms, hard enough to catch her attention without hurting her.

"Jack, let me-"

Without meaning to, without thought or planning, he kissed her, pulling her long body against him with a single tug. Her surprised "oh" ended quickly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

A few steps and they were in the bedroom, Sam motivated by familiarity and Jack by desire.


End file.
